Can-opener.



R. BLAKE & G. W. COLLEGE.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1910.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

In ue 1M0 PS I ld/iiinesa'ed' rheaois.

1 vide a can opener of a construction that can v the primary ROY BLAKE AND CLARENCE W. COLLEGE, OF HOPEWELL, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

\ Patented Se t. 17,1912.

Application filed November 3, 1910. .Serial No. 590,523.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROY BLAKE and CLARENCE W. COLLEGE, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Hopewell, in the county of Bedford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Can- Openers, of which. 'the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. This invention relates to can openers, and object of our invention is to provide an opener that can be used in connection with a substantially rectangular or circular can for expeditiously opening the same.

Another object of the invention is to pro; simple and durable be safely used for opening a can.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a can opener with adjustable cutters, permitting ofthe opener being used in connection with cans of various sizes and shapes. i

A still further object of the invention is to accomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that is strong and-d11- to handle and eflicient for the purposes for which it is intended.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing forming a part of .this specification, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which":

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sardine can showingthe opener in position for removing the lid or cover from said can. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan of the opener.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, and

Fig, 41s a longitudinal sectional view of the opener.

An opener in accordance with our invention comprises a flat bar rectangular in cross section and having the rear end thereof enlarged or provided with a handle 2.

Connected to or formed integral with the under side of-the bar lat the forward end thereof is a depending apertured lug 3 and mounted in said lug is a pin 4 having the Fig.

wardly; as at 6, and then forwardly, as at 7, the bentportion 6 engaging the front side of the lug-3 and thereby retaining the pin 4 within the apertured lug.

Slidably mounted'upon the bar ljis a sleeve'or holder 8 rectangular in cross section, said holder having the upper side thereof provided with a pyramid-ical shaped cutter 9, located adjacent to the front edge thereof and of a less width than the holder.

Pivo-tally connected to the under side ofthe holder, as at 10, is acombined cutter and guide, comprising a plate 11 having the rear edge thereof provided with a depending rib 12 and the front edge with a depending rib 13, said rib having a cutter 14 at the. for a rd edge thereof, said cutter corresponding in length to the rib with the base thereof approximately half the thickness of the rib, .as best shownin Fig, 4. The plate 11 is of less length and less width than that side of the holder towhich it is attached and is disposed approximately centrally with respect to the said side of the holder.

The cutter 9 is preferably used for removin the lid or cover of a circular or cylindrical can, while the cutter 14 is employed for removing the lid or cover of a rectangular can, as a sardine can, or any receptacle having a rim. I

The manner of using the can opener is best understood by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings. The pin 7 is inserted in the lid or cover 15 of the can approximately centrally thereof, whereby the bar 1 can be swung over the top of the can. The ribs 12 and 13 are then. placed in engagement with the rim 16 of the can, said ribs providing a groove or depression .17 to receive the rim. By a slight pressure upon the blade the cutter 14 can be forced into the lid or cover 15 and then with the pin 7 serving as a pivot point, the holder 8 can be swung around the edges of the can to cut the lid or cover 15, thus permitting of the lid or cover being bodily removed whereby easy access can be had to the interior of the can.

As will be seen, the depression 17 is located directly in alinen ent wit-h the pivot, and is formed with walls independent of the cutter 14, these walls being formed by the ribs which have their lower faces above the plane of the cutting edge; in other words,t he cutrear end thereof provided with head 5 i and the forward end thereof bent downting edge projects beyond the ribs which form the walls for the recess. As a result, the member 8 is guided in its movement by the walls of the depression independently of the cutting edge, acting as a guide on both the inside and the outside of the rim of the can and practically insuring that the cut provided by the cutter 14 will be substantially parallel with the rim of the can. Furthermore, the lower face of the rib on which the cutter is mounted acts as a stop to limit the penetration of the cutting blade, forming a surface which travels on the can cover (excepting where the rim of the can is of a greater height than the depthfof the depression), enabling the device to move freely around the can and provide a proper cutting depth for the cutter.

From the foregoing it will be observedthat the opener can be safely used and that it is practically impossible for the operator to be injured while the can is being opened.

ed member carried by said holder, said member carrying a cutter and having a depression spaced from the cutter, said depression being located in substantial alinement with the pivot of said member, and being adapted to receive the rim of the can being operated u on.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

' ROY BLAKE.

CLARENCE W. COLLEGE. Witnesses:

JOHN P. KAY, WALTER CARTWRIGHT. 

